Do you need quick and easy summer hair tips that will ensure your hair looks great while you beat the heat? Secret Agent Salon & Supply's Melissa Wagner spills her favorite tools, accessories and tricks of the trade in this exclusive interview.
Expert Summer Hair Tips
Melissa answers some of your most challenging summer hair issues.
Easy Summer Styles
LoveToKnow (LTK): What are some easy summer styles for long, medium and short hair?
Melissa Wagner (MW): Right now you are seeing braids being incorporated into styles of all lengths. Even short hair can get cornrows through the fringe or any areas that are longer. It keeps hair off the face when the weather turns hot and sticky. I don't think braids and braiding have been this popular since the movie "10". Braiding can be easy if you don't get hung up on it looking too perfect. Summer is a good time to keep it loose and sometimes imperfect can be much cuter.
Summer Accessories
LTK: What's your favorite summer hair accessory?
MW: My favorite summer hair accessories are "Corkscrew" or "spin" pins (available at Walmart). Even the clumsiest fingers can't screw, no pun intended, this up...it makes chignons and twists a cinch and holds them firmly in place so dance all night or play some beach volleyball.
I also think they impart less stress on the hair. Remember hair is at its weakest when wet so if you have a tight rubber band in place it can cause stress and fracture hair...especially if you wear a pony in the same spot day after day, it can cause a line of breakage. Vary placement and styles! Corkscrew pins are a great option for versatility.
Keeping Hair Healthy in Summer
LTK: When heat and humidity wreak havoc on the hair, what are your summer hair tips?
MW: Nothing is better to fight frizz than the Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy. It is naturally a dehumectant and pressing keratin protein into the hair can restore shine and luster. It can make even the most beach baked hair soft and swingy again. The Keratin Complex also reduces the hairs' porosity cutting styling time down by 50%. It looks twice as good in half the time! Less work means less damage to the hair.
- Please note that the treatment should be done AFTER vacations that involve salt water. Exposure to sodium chloride AKA salt can leach the keratin out of the hair, reducing its effectiveness.
LTK: Do you have any product recommendations for protecting colored and damaged hair from the sun?
MW: Secret Agent Salons number one selling sun protect is Rene Furterers waterproof Summer Protective Oil. It will block out chlorine and salt water while keeping hair moisturized and keep color treatments locked in. I encourage clients to take it with them on vacation and use the entire bottle. Hair that is coated with this SPF90 oil is easy to braid or keep in a tidy top knot.
Controlling Curls and Waves
LTK: Do you have any ideas how to control waves and curls and opt for a more natural look this season?
MW: Waved and curled hair needs extra moisture during the summer months. Natural texture tends to be dry and not as shiny. To keep curls from going beachy to Bozo smooth down frizz with the new "Acanthe" curl line from Rene Furterer.
Use the shampoo and the leave-in fluid for maximum curl control.
To coax wimpy curls into holding more body try Unite's "Boing". A little dab of this curl cream goes a long way- breathing life into hair that has lost its spring due to damage.
Professional Product Pick
LTK: Please name your favorite hair tool and product.
MW: One of the biggest challenges year round is getting fine or heavy hair to hold wave and curl. My Chi Orbit Styler achieves the springiest, longest lasting styles. There are a variety of rod shapes for everything from Veronica Lake smooth waves to crazy fun spiral curls. This unique iron has no arm. It comes with a heat resistant glove so you can use your fingers to twist the hair and control tension.
Non-Damaging Beachy Hair
LTK: What is one of most exciting summer trends?
MW: You don't have to wait to have long beachy locks!
Hot Heads is the latest technology in extensions. They are lighter and easier on the head. They are also known as skin wefts. You can swim with them, blowdry them and color them because they are human hair! The best part is that they can be reused up to three times making them more cost effective than any other type of previously used extensions. Book a consultation to do a color match or use the Hot Heads to incorporate a creative color for summer that can last up to 6 weeks.
About Melissa Wagner and Secret Agent Salon & Supply
With over 15 years of experience encouraging her clients to push the envelope with their cuts and style while maintaining a reputation for incredible natural looking color, Melissa and her staff know hair inside and out.
If you'd like to book an appointment with Melissa Wagner or any of the other secret agents, contact the salon directly at:
Secret Agent Salon & Supply
2843 California Avenue
San Francisco, California 94115
(415) 440-5247
For more information, be sure to visit Secret Agent Salon & Supply website at: www.secretagentsalon.com.
